By CathedralNation.com staff
If they only knew how much fun it could be, Bryan Banschbach figures the girls who bowl for Cathedral High School might do it a lot sooner.
As it is, the Irish indeed have fun. A lot of fun.
And this year, as most years, they're pretty good, too.
Banschbach, the Cathedral High School bowling coach, said as is the case many seasons, the Irish feature several seniors who are in their first season with the team. But as is the case with many seasons, those seniors are good, and as a whole, the team is competitive and has fun being so.
“For whatever reason with the girls team, a lot of them don't come out until their senior years,” Banschbach told Cathedralnation.com recently. “That's always been the case for us for some reason.
“They tend to put together a very good team and they're very competitive, but it's a one-and-done for most girls.
“They just didn't realize how much fun they were going to have for the most part.”
Banschbach said that's annually how it is around the Irish:
Often, the girls on the team spend the offseason and weeks leading to the season recruiting friends at the school for the team, and often those girls joining the team make major contributions.
“These girls have actually pulled the program up quite a bit,” Banschbach said.
That has been the case this season.
The Irish are led by Emily Sexson, a senior who averages about 140 and who is capable of throwing 180-to-190, with senior Lia Kennedy and senior Carlee Cooke “always pretty solid” always among Cathedral's top five or six bowlers.
That group – the bowlers who were on the team last season – “got together and got a bunch of people to try out,” Banschbach said.
“They pulled in a couple seniors who are really good,” Banschbach said. “I wish I'd have had them a couple of years ago.”
That senior duo is Olivia Fangman, who Banschbach said bowls consistently in the 130s, and Janie Gillum, who consistently bowls between 120 and 180.
Banschbach said the atmosphere around the team, as well as its success, can be attributed largely to Lynn Miller, who is largely responsible for coaching the girls team.
“She's done a wonderful job with the girls at the matches,” he said. “There's a different dynamic with coaching the girls. Lynn is so good at corralling that energy the girls have, and keeping them on task. She's as responsible as anybody for the success of that girls team.”
Banschbach said the girls the past two seasons have been competitive at sectionals, and that with a full lineup, they could compete again to be one of the top two teams. With Sexson potentially being out of town that weekend, Banschbach said that could be a factor.
“The girls have a good shot at it, but we're probably going to have to sacrifice a 130-160, and that's tough to replace,” he said. “The girls are legitimately easily a three spot, depending on how they throw that day. They may not compete to win the sectional, because there are a couple of really good teams out there, but they could give the No. 2 team a run.
“It will be a little more difficult without Emily, but we're going to give it a shot and see what happens.”
And whatever happens, Banschbach what's for certain is the Irish will have fun while it's happening.
“If you went to a match and watched our team, you would never expect them to be very good, because they're having such a good time,” Banschbach said. “It's like they're out on a Saturday night just to bowl together. That's how they are at the matches. It doesn't look like they have that intense focus, but we will put up a pretty good score and that surprises the other team. You think, 'They're having too much fun,' but they are pretty good.
“For the girls, whatever happens happens, but they're going to fun doing it. They're having so much fun that they almost don't think about they're bowling and that's maybe why they do better.
“This group of seniors has brought fun to the bowling team. Thats for sure.”